All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except for my OC.

Volterra, like the young man had said, was quite a beautiful city. I was currently studying abroad in Florence, so it was not too long of a drive. He had piqued my interest about it when we met at my temporary place of work. I had been folding a few shirts when he walked up to me to ask a simple question, if we had any dress shirts with a front pocket. I led him over to the selection, and as I was helping him find one, we got to talking. We conversed in Italian until he replied in English, "Your Italian is exquisite."

This led us into a conversation about my studies at the university which led to me talking about my love for art, history and literature. He told me that I should visit Volterra while I was still in Italy, that I would appreciate the Palazzo dei Priori. He added that he worked there giving tours and because he could tell I had such passion for the arts, he would love to give me a free tour to show me the more private areas of the palace if I liked. I told him that I would think about it, and now, here I was in the piazza.

It had been a week since that meeting, and this weekend would be one of the last that I had free. We had not exchanged information, nor was I truly expecting him to have been serious with what he said. However, he was right that I would be missing out to not see the city's history and architecture while I was still in the country, so I decided to come.

I stood in front of the palazzo looking up at the clock tower. It was nearly 1100 and the weather looked as if it may storm. I heard voices behind me, so I turned. As I did, I saw a woman with indescribable beauty walking towards me with a group of what looked like tourists. She was dressed in a mid-thigh length, forest green sweater dress with a brown, leather belt accentuating her waist. Her mahogany hair fell over her shoulders perfectly waved.

The woman stopped when she reached me and looked in my direction. "You're not from around here," she said to herself more than to me. "Would you like to see the inside? It's better than the view from out here."

It was at that moment that it appeared as if the man from before materialized at her side. Of course I had seen him walk up from behind her though, hadn't I? "You came. It's a pleasure to see you again." He turned to the woman. "Heidi, this here is the girl I was telling you about." I smiled. He talked about me?

"Oh, of course!" Her voice was a gentle lull.

"I'll join you soon."

Heidi smiled at him and turned back to the group, leading them on into the palace. "Do you have to help with the tour?"

"Yes." His eyes suddenly met mine and he smiled. "You know, I don't believe I've formally introduced myself. I am Demetri."

Demetri held out his hand, and I took it in politeness. "Calli."

"Give me fifteen minutes, and I'll escape her."

I laughed lightly. He could not be much older than I was, perhaps in his early twenties. His face was the most handsome I had ever seen. It was chiseled in all the right places; he had dark brown eyes and smooth black hair that for some reason, I longed to touch. "Should I wait here?"

"It's about lunch time, isn't it? There's a wonderful bakery down the road if you're hungry. Highly recommended."

"Okay, I'll check it out."

"Then I'll see you soon." Demetri took my hand, placed a gentle kiss on the top before following Heidi's path through the doors of the palazzo.

I shook my head. He was very charming, but there was also something about him. I could not place what it was, but I could sense it. I could sense that he was wanting something desperately, and it had nothing to do with me, not this desire. His conversation had been slightly rushed as if he was in a hurry to join the tour. Perhaps he was. Maybe if he was not there, he ran the chance of discipline, but I did not think that was the case.

I headed the direction Demetri had pointed and found the bakery he had mentioned. It was a quiet, little place with much character, and when I stepped inside, I heard the light chime of a bell. An older looking lady came up to the counter and spoke to me in broken English. It seemed that I stood out around there. I replied back in near fluent Italian ordering a small pastry. She smiled and handed me my pastry as I paid her.

Stepping outside, I took a bite, and Demetri was right. It was one of the best pastries I had had since coming to Italy. I found a bench to finish eating then checked my phone. It had been roughly fifteen minutes, so I decided to walk back to the piazza. He had not returned yet. It must have been harder for him to get away than he thought. I shook my head.

"I hope you weren't waiting here for long."

I looked back up and Demetri was in front of me. I had not even heard him approach. "Not at all." There was something different about him. Something had changed in the past eighteen minutes, and I could not, once again, pin point it. It was frustrating, but it also had me a little on edge.

"Did you visit the bakery?"

"I needed something to do."

"Your thoughts?"

"The recommendation was noted and approved."

He laughed. "I'm glad to hear." He held out his hand for me to take. "Are you ready for that tour now?"

I had mixed feelings about going with him. I had just met this man a week ago, and here he was, offering me a free tour of this beautiful palace. I could not figure him out which unnerved me, and yet, I was beyond interested in finding out more about him. Yes, I may have been attracted to him in more ways than one. I took his hand and we walked up to the palace and through the doors.

The entrance hall was stunning. There were frescoes adorning the walls and a cross-vaulted ceiling. We walked across the hall to an elevator. He pressed the button, and the doors opened. "Since you have such an appreciation for the arts, I thought you would like to see one of the private galleries."

"Is that allowed," I asked stepping into the elevator after him.

"Why wouldn't it be? You'll love it, I'm sure."

Demetri pressed another button and the elevator jerked into motion. However, we seemed to be going down instead of up. Of course a palace would have floors underground. It was quiet after the doors closed, but I did not think much of it. Who talks in the elevator anyway?

The doors opened and we stepped out into this corridor lit only by torches. It was anything but what the entryway was. The walls were made of stone, and there were no doors to be seen besides the elevator. It was strictly a passageway to get from one end of the palace to the next. I looked up at him and he took my hand again. "It's a little dark down here, but the gallery isn't far. This part of the palace has never been remodeled as tourists don't visit this area, but you're not exactly a tourist, so I'm not breaking any rules."

It was a bit of a walk, but we finally stopped in front of a large wooden door. Demetri took out an ancient looking skeleton key and unlocked it. As the door swung open, he grabbed a torch from the wall and lit something in a recess in the room. Suddenly, flame lined the interior, and I could see the inside perfectly. I stood in awe. "Wow."

He placed the torch back where he had removed it and stepped into the room behind me. "You like it?"

"This is amazing." I was staring at sculptures and paintings that I had never seen before, only heard about in my studies. They were magnificent, and I momentarily forgot to breathe. I walked up to one painting that caught my interest. In the painting was a beautiful woman, she looked like a goddess. She sat on a swing that hung from a tree in a garden full of what looked like irises. There were clouds in the sky yet she held a captivating smile, almost as if she were laughing with joy. "Who is she?"

Demetri had followed close behind and I saw him too captured by the goddess on the canvas. "Her name was Didyme. She was loved by all and is missed even more."

"What happened to her?"

His eyes narrowed but not at me. In a hardened voice, he said, "She was murdered."

It was then that I heard soft footsteps behind us. I turned, as well as Demetri, to see another young man, perhaps in his mid-20s, staring at me incredulously. I took an unintentional step back and felt Demetri's arm encircle my waist. This man had long, darker hair than Demetri with the palest skin I had ever seen. It almost seemed translucent. Though, it was not his skin that terrified me. It was his eyes. They were red. What person had red eyes? Sure they could be contacts, but I had a feeling that in his case, they were not. He was dressed in a black suit with some chain around his neck holding an intricate 'V' symbol crest.

He spoke. "Do you like my home?" His voice was the exact opposite of what I had expected. I expected it to be angry or even accusing, but instead, it was almost giddy.

"Your home?" I stuttered slightly without meaning to.

"Yes, my dear. Certainly Demetri told you."

"No." I looked up at Demetri who was staring at this man with some kind of reverence. Who was he?

"I must say that I am quite pleased to finally meet you. When Demetri had told me of you, I was thrilled." He held out his hand as if he wished to shake mine. I stood still. "Certainly you would not deny me the pleasure of a simple greeting?"

Weighing my options, I decided to carefully take a step forward. I reached out and he almost greedily took my hand. I was mesmerized by the touch. Of course I noticed it with Demetri, but I really noticed it now. This man's hands were ice, somewhat colder even than Demetri's had been. He held me in a tight grip as he caressed my fingers in his. We stood like this for at least a minute, and for some reason, I felt compelled to allow him. Perhaps it was from what I sensed in him. He was hungry, power hungry, more than anyone I had ever met. In all honesty, he frightened me.

When he finally let go, a childish expression crossed his face along with the slightest smirk of satisfaction. "How intriguing is your find, Demetri. She has a marvelous mind."

"Thank you, Master."

I paused. Did Demetri call him Master?

"Take our guest to one of the spare rooms. I will call on Eleazar. I would like him to take a look at the girl."

I looked back at Demetri. "What?" I was confused. What did he mean take me to a spare room so someone named Eleazar could take a look at me? I certainly did not feel like a guest at this point.

"Oh. I apologize, my dear. I have not introduced myself, have I? I am Aro." The man leaned down to my level, his face so close to mine and his lips upon my ears. He whispered, "Welcome to my coven."

My breath hitched as I tried to piece together what he had just said. Coven? As in vampires? That's impossible. Wasn't it? My breathing turned ragged and Aro stepped back and watched. I continued to run over in my mind everything I could sense from these two men in the room with me. Yes, they were certainly different, but could I believe that they were vampires?

"Humans are so close-minded, and here I thought that perhaps this one would find solace in the discovery." Aro gave a slight laugh. "Does it bother you to be in a room with a couple of vampires?"

"Vampires don't exist." But my voice was not steady. Was I panicking? It was a definite possibility.

Aro's eyes danced with some type of fervor. To him, this was an exciting game. "Yet, here I stand, and Demetri stands, both in front of you."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Have you looked at us? Do we look normal to you?"

No, they did not. They did not at all. Everything was wrong and off. What was going on? My heart was racing, and I had the urge to flee, to run as fast as I could. My eyes darted around Aro's frame to the door. "There's no point in running. I would catch up to you in a second." It was Demetri.

"Demetri is quite right. It's useless." Aro disappeared in front of my eyes and was suddenly behind me pulling me into himself. The air was knocked out of me, and I froze in his arms. "Do you see now?" He then released me and appeared back in front of me before I could blink. "You have nothing to fear. You see, I sense something in you, although not much. Eleazar is a friend that could focus into this and tell me more about it. Think of your stay as a free night in Volterra. You should feel honored. Any human who has entered into my domain did not live to see another day, yet here you stand however appetizing your scent seems to be."

"Okay, say I believe you. What do you want from me?" I willed my heart to still, but it was no use.

"Many things, I assure you." He then looked back at Demetri. "Go on. I will send for her when Eleazar arrives."

Demetri took my arm gently and led me out of the room. I turned back, but Aro was gone. We made our way back to the elevator and up to what would be the third floor. As we exited, I noticed more paintings and frescoes lining the walls. We went about half way before turning a corner and walking further. One more turn and we stopped. There was a door on the left in which Demetri opened, and we went inside.

The room was bare except for a double sized bed, a small table by a boarded window and a couple of chairs against the far wall. Another door stood open in the room and from a quick glance, it looked as if it led into a bathroom.

"I know it's not much, but it will do for now." Demetri went over to one of the chairs and sat. I stood in the doorway which was still opened. I was surprised he had not closed it behind us, but perhaps he was testing me, a test I was not about to fail. Aro had demonstrated their speed. "You can sit if you'd like. The room is yours for the time being."

I walked over to the boarded window and frowned. "Why is it covered?"

"We don't do well in sunlight, so many windows are covered."

"Vampires, right. You would burn in the sunlight."

I did not expect him to laugh, but he did. He seemed thoroughly amused by my statement, and I looked at him curiously. He suddenly stopped and gifted me with his amazing smile. "That's only myth. It's not real. The sunlight does, however, have an effect on our skin that would make us stand out. We don't wish to take the chance."

"What does it do?"

"Perhaps I'll show you one day, depending."

I sighed. "You mean, if you don't kill me first?"

"It's inevitable now. You know what we are." Demetri dropped his gaze and looked at the wooden floor.

"Right, and I just shouldn't have come."

He was behind me the next second causing me to startle. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and my head touched unintentionally against his chest. "I was glad you came."

"Do vampires like to play games or something? You find a human and draw them in to your own twisted desires?" My voice felt heavy, the words forcing their way out.

Demetri sighed. "It's nothing like that. Your fate was sealed the moment I saw you, and for that, I apologize."

"You apologize, yet you're glad I came?"

"The moment I looked at you, I could tell you were different. There was no going back after that. Aro would have found out, and he would have ordered me to bring you here by force if necessary, which is why I invited you in hopes it did not lead to that. Even he can see it."

"You didn't have to tell him."

I heard him smirk behind me. "Did you have any idea what he was doing when he took your hand? Certainly you wondered why he held you there for so long."

"Sure, he was testing my grip like managers do at an interview," I replied with a hint of sarcasm.

He laughed. "He was reading your mind."

I began to turn in Demetri's hold, and he released me. I looked up at him questioningly. "He can read minds?"

"Through touch. Certain vampires have gifts. Aro's can be described as tactile telepathy. By touching my hand when I returned, he would have been able to see you and my thoughts about you. He sees every thought you ever had."

"That's rather invasive."

"Perhaps." He shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it."

Curiosity got the best of me after that. Is that what they thought I had? Some special ability? Is that what Demetri was talking about? I was different, he was right about that. I could read people easily, and I was also talented at changing things up to appeal to their needs. I was excellent in job interviews and my interview at the university I attended for always doing just that. I had a background in theater as well, so making people believe something I wanted them to believe, such as in a show, was a piece of cake. People had always commented on my ability to do so, and I knew that must have been what Aro had seen.

"Do you have a gift, Demetri?"

"The majority of us here do."

"What is it?"

He turned away from me and walked towards the door. He faced me again and looked me directly in the eye. "Something you probably should be aware of. You already know it would be futile to try to run, however, if you would manage to leave the palazzo, you would not truly escape. I'm a tracker, and I would find you within minutes. I promise."

"You sound like you almost want me to try." And he did. His voice was leading as if he was daring me to attempt it.

"Maybe I do. I've always loved a good chase."

With that, Demetri left the room, shutting the door behind him. The lock never clicked.

I stood there staring at the door after him for a few seconds before going over to the other door in the room. There was a light switch just inside the door, and I flipped it on. Inside was a beautiful, old fashioned bath. It was small, but I still had room to move around. There was a slight slipper, clawfoot tub made of cast iron and inlaid porcelain. The feet had a brushed nickel finish. It was simply elegant. On the other wall was a console sink standing underneath a medium sized oval mirror. The mirror set in a beautifully antiqued capiz shell frame with a beveled edge. It really did help open the room a little more.

I stepped back out into the bedroom and went over to the bed. The sheets were a dull ivory, and the frame blended in perfectly. It was a Victorian style iron gold vintage with three cherub angels playing in the head. At the foot were three long bars connecting the top of the frame to the bottom with some type of metal flower adorning where they met. It was quite ornate.

I sat down on the mattress which was firm but not uncomfortable, and I started to wonder how they thought I was going to be able to sleep here. On any other occasion, oblivious to those around me, I would not have minded. The thing was, I was not oblivious and those around me thirsted for my blood.

Taking a deep breath, I lied back on the bed, resting my head on one of the decorative pillows. There was nothing to do in this room, and I was growing quickly agitated with the situation. I lied there for a few more minutes before letting out an exasperated breath. I sat up, took another look around the room and sighed. "I could kill him."

And the door opened.

An older man with shoulder length hair of white stepped into the room with a menacing look on his face. When I saw his eyes, I realized he was another one of them, another vampire. However, he seemed different than Aro or Demetri. He looked to be in his 40s, much older than either of them and however malevolent his expression, he held some sort of gracefulness as he moved. He seemed to float over to my side of the room and stand a few feet away. "Who could you kill?"

I swallowed and said timidly, "No one."

"That's right." He touched his finger to the granite table against the wall and the moment he did, it crumbled to the floor.

My body shook in fear. No, he was definitely not like Demetri, and even though Aro frightened me, this man was nowhere near that sensation. He went over and beyond that. His presence hung heavily in the air that it was difficult to breathe. "Who are you?"

Suddenly I felt myself pushed back against the iron rail of the bed, one of his hands wrapped around my left arm and the other pressed against the right side of my collarbone.. I winced from the pain, and he smirked, a sadistic expression splayed all across his features. "I do not believe you're in any position to be giving demands." He leaned in closer to me and his lips were upon my throat. I felt his breath against my skin, and at that moment, I knew it was all over. "My brother was right. You do smell delightful." He breathed in once more before his teeth barely grazed my neck. I closed my eyes.

"Caius."

My heart stopped. I knew that voice.

The man I now knew as Caius immediately removed himself from on top of me and stood next to the person whose voice I heard. Aro. "I was only having a little fun. No harm done."

Aro placed a hand on Caius's back. "I would prefer you not to torture the girl. The human mind is so weak as well as the body." He indicated toward me, and I looked down. I could feel the bruises forming even now.

"It is so easy to forget, brother." Aro was Caius's brother? They looked nothing alike apart from their near translucent skin.

Caius left the room, and Aro walked over to where I was sitting on the bed. "I hope you are alright, cara. You must forgive him." Aro reached out and ran a finger over my exposed shoulder.

I shrugged away from him. "I'm fine." Honestly, I hurt like hell, but that's where I was, wasn't it? Hell? All I knew is that I did not want any of them near me. Aro was only playing me. This much I was sure I had figured out.

Aro stepped away and moved back to the door. "Heidi will be in soon. You remember her from the piazza, yes?"

I nodded. Of course, I did. How could I forget someone that looked like some sort of super model but a hundred times more over? I was not looking forward to meeting up with her again. I had the feeling that she was not too impressed with me as the others seemed to be.

He left the room, and I took a few deep breaths trying to calm myself. I had hoped that perhaps I was only dreaming, some kind of nightmare, but I knew I was not. I was wide awake too afraid to sleep. I stood and paced around the room some trying to sort out my thoughts, but nothing was working. I worried more about when that door opened again and if it would truly be Heidi or some other perverse freak.

I cautiously walked up to it and put my ear against the wood. I heard nothing. The knob turned meaning it once again had not been locked, and I opened it slightly. I peered out, but there was no one in sight. Quietly shutting it, I leaned against it and looked at the broken table on the floor. It had all but shattered. They were strong, undoubtedly. Granite was the hardest structural stone in the world, so for him to be able to break it by barely placing a finger, how did he not turn my bones to dust?

Just breathe. That's all I needed to do was breathe. Maybe once my head was clear, I could think straight. A few more deep breaths, and that's when I decided. "Fine, you win." I faced the door once more and opened it part way. "I'll play your game."

I stepped out closing the door behind me. I remembered the path Demetri had taken me down and I crept slowly down the hall. I reached the first turn, and there was still no one there. I continued to the second and at the end of the hall, I saw the elevator. The elevator was not an option. I had noticed a camera in there on the way up. That would be expected. There had to be stairs around there somewhere. After all, it would be a fire hazard, and they did allow tourists in here, even if they never came back out.

Turning back the way I came, I noticed a separate corridor off to my right. I walked towards it and sure enough, it lead to an enclosed spiral stairwell. I began to descend, but I quickly noticed that it went further than it should have to reach the second or even ground floor. Something was wrong. It was almost never ending, but it did eventually end.

At the end of the stairwell was a long dark passageway much like the one the private gallery had been located in, however, this one was different. It didn't look different, but it smelled different and there was a draft. To me, that was a good sign. It was hard to see, but thankfully, I still had my phone.

My phone! I had forgotten all about it. I brought it out of my jacket pocket and although it was still charged, it had no signal whatsoever. It was useless. I thought about going back up the stairs to the floor I was on and checking if that helped, but I also knew that there was a possibility that Heidi had already stopped by and noticed me missing. She would have gone to Aro, I was sure of it. Aro would have sent Demetri. No, I had to move fast. If he was already tracking me, I didn't have the luxury of time.

I found my flashlight app and it lit the passage just enough for me to start running. It was a straight path, another passage only meant to be used for travel from one end to the next. I finally reached an old door and stopped. Taking a deep breath and preparing myself for what could be on the other side, a vampire being the worst I could imagine at that moment, I opened it carefully.

On the other side, the air was musty and thick. It was a sewer. I went in, closing the door after me, but instead of running this time, I took it slow. There could be numerous objects in here to trip over and that was the last thing I needed. A sewer was good because it had to have an exit somewhere. Now the trouble was finding it before they found me.

According to the clock, a few minutes had passed since I entered the sewer door. I felt something scurry by me, and I jumped. Pointing the light from my phone in the direction I heard it squeak off into, I noticed it was a large rat. It seemed to be as afraid of me as I was of it, and I decided to keep moving. I kept my eyes focused on the ground for any more furry creatures, but I looked up every now and then to check if there was a turn into another direction. Again, this path was very straightforward. Even if I was still connected to the palazzo, I was at least moving away from the center, and that was good.

Eventually I noticed something ahead that made my heart leap. There was a patch of light draining in from above. I walked faster and faster until I finally reached it. It came through a manhole in the ground above. It was open. I turned off the phone light and put it back in my jacket pocket before looking around for a ladder, but there were none in sight. "Dammit. Why use a ladder anyway? They could probably jump right up."

"Or right down." Demetri landed flawlessly on the ground next to me, and my fight or flight instincts kicked in. Without thinking, I turned and ran. I didn't get far before he appeared in front of me. I stopped, my breath ragged. "Didn't we already discuss how pointless this is?"

Something clicked again, and I knew he was right. As he began walking towards me, I took a step back for each of his. Eventually, he disappeared from sight, and I suddenly felt myself being lifted off of my feet and everything became a blur. I shut my eyes and pushed my head into Demetri's chest. He was moving so fast that even with my eyes closed, I began to feel nauseated.

When I felt him slowing down, I opened my eyes again and we were nearing the elevator at the entrance to the passage. When he stopped, he pushed the button to bring it to our level. "Okay, put me down."

Demetri gently placed me back on my feet before noticing me grab at my arm. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"A bruise like that isn't nothing." His thumb brushed over my collarbone, and I had to admit that the coldness of his skin felt good against it. "Who did this?"

I took a moment to ponder answering his question, but I knew I did not have much of a choice. I was sure he would find out somehow. "Caius?"

I left it open hoping he would get the hint and explain who he was, but he did not. "Heh. I should have known."

At that moment, the doors opened, and he ushered me inside. I was not about to have another silent ride because now I had too many questions that needed to be asked." Who is he? Aro called him his brother."

"He and Caius, as well as Marcus, run the coven. They are the masters, the ancients."

"Caius was ancient alright," I replied smartly. Sometimes it was easier to be sarcastic than it was to face the truth. That didn't mean that I did not accept it, but I could not reason with it at the time.

Thankfully, Demetri laughed. "The three of them are some of the oldest vampires in existence. They were born during the times of Ancient Greece. They have seen much over the millennia."

"That's just not possible."

"It is when you're immortal."

The elevator moved slowly, and it got me thinking. "The elevator services every floor doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"Why don't the stairs? They start at the third floor and end in that passageway."

Demetri gave me a long look. "I think you already experienced why."

"It's a trap, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily, but you were caught in the end."

Looking down at the floor of the elevator, I frowned slightly. "Did you enjoy the chase?"

I could feel his eyes on me, and it made me feel like a small animal being cornered by the hunter. "The chase is always enjoyable, but not as much as the hunt."

"What's the difference?"

"You're still alive."

For now.